We’re thrilled to introduce our 2026–2027 Aurifil Artisans! The response to our call for applications was incredible, and selecting from so many talented applicants was no easy task. Today, we’re proud to reveal this inspiring team and look forward to collaborating with such a gifted group of quilters, sewists, and makers!
Amy Freyn
Amy is a professor at a university in Quito, Ecuador by day and a textile artist and longarm quilter by night and weekends. Besides literature and sociology, she also teaches two quilting classes at the university in the textile arts department. (Ecuador)
Andrea Sauer
Andrea is based in Hamburg, Germany, and loves bold colors and vibrant color gradients—preferably in every shade of the rainbow. As a perfectionist, she has a keen eye for precision and attention to detail, which is reflected in all her creative projects. Creative work serves as an important balance to her daily professional life. As a working mother, she uses every spare minute to pursue her creativity—many of her ideas and projects actually come to her while she’s on the go. (Germany)
Andreia Cabral
Andreia realized early on what her path would be and, despite her degree in Biology, she didn’t find her identity in science, but among lines and linens, painting with delicate threads what her imagination dictated to her hands, which she patiently trained, giving time and attention to her curiosity. In this way, she aims to find a serene balance between family life, nature, the way she absorbs knowledge of the world, and a rewarding, unpretentious, and genuine artistic activity. (Portugal)
Angele Kuy
Addicted to everything tiny, Angèle is a micro-crocheter from France and the maker behind Maison Meikart. She first learnt crochet with her mother who got her hooked with dresses for Barbie dolls. Now, she uses 0.4 and 0.35 mm crochet hooks and sewing and lace threads to create colorful, joyful and fun miniature dolls as well as jewelry and accessories. She shares her tiny makes on social media and offers finished makes and crochet patterns on her website. (France)
Barbie Mitchell
Living on Bundjalung Country in NSW, Australia, Barbie Mitchell is an internationally renowned maker and tutor who specialises in the meditative rhythm of needle turn appliqué and big stitch hand quilting. Drawing inspiration from her off-grid lifestyle and the vibrant palettes of the natural world, she blends traditional techniques with modern design to create soulful, story-driven textile art. (Australia)
Belle Brunner
Artisan and quilt designer Belle Brunner of Seams Sew Me is known for her heartfelt fabric collections, approachable teaching style, and passion for helping quilters “make lovely things.” Through her quilt patterns, retreats, fabric design, and YouTube channel, Thread Life with Belle, she inspires makers to create with confidence and joy. Inspired by life in the Ouachita National Forest, Belle’s work blends creativity, storytelling, and a welcoming creative spirit. (US)
Brionna “BJ” Benson
BJ is a creative maker, photographer, and children’s sewing pattern designer with a love for nostalgic clothing, heirloom details, and beautifully handmade pieces. Inspired by vintage charm, soft storytelling, and playful fabric mixing, her work blends whimsy with everyday wearability. Through her designs and creative projects, she enjoys creating handmade collections that feel both timeless and one of a kind. When she’s not sewing, BJ enjoys spending time with her daughter and is currently embracing her homemade barista era! (US)
Chloe Cuff
Chloe is a quilter and fiber artist based in the New York City area. Through her work, she explores color, movement, and moments of levity, blending traditional quilt-making techniques with inventive construction methods. Drawing from the structure and discipline of quilting conventions, she creates contemporary fiber works that balance craftsmanship with a distinctly modern visual language. (US)
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir’s practice centers on sentimental stitching, thoughtful repurposing, and the beauty in seeing the hand of the maker. She is inspired by stories waiting to be told, messages to be shared, or moments waiting to be interpreted through stitch. Claire believes in the power of creative practice and is committed to thoughtful gift giving and the potential of tiny offerings. (Germany)
Emily Ullo Steigler
Emily Ullo Steigler is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and founder of Scout & Indiana, a handmade apparel and textile art brand based in New York City. Drawing from a background in medical illustration and fine art, she creates one-of-a-kind wearable pieces that blend craftsmanship, storytelling, and bold personal style. Her work is known for its use of upcycled materials, intricate stitching, machine appliqué, and hand-painted details, all rooted in a philosophy of individuality and creative expression. (US)
Francesca Kemp
Francesca is a textile artist inspired by the beautiful British countryside, creating distinctive pieces that celebrate the flora and fauna of her Kent home. Her unique process combines watercolours, inks, pre-loved fabrics, and freehand machine embroidery using her beloved vintage Singer sewing machine. Alongside her original artworks and fine art prints, Francesca’s designs are transformed into a beautiful collection of artisan gifts, homewares, luxury greeting cards, and premium wrapping paper, all designed in-house and stocked in a fantastic range of indie stores all over the UK and USA. (UK)
Hope Talbot Waller
Hope Talbot Waller is an artist working with second-hand and vintage textiles. From velvet curtains and linen tablecloths to old favourite trousers and hi-vis jackets, Hope combines unlikely fabrics to create bold, improvisational quilts full of movement and life. Drawn to contrasting textures, and with a focus on sustainability, Hope saves even the tiniest scraps, bringing them together through layering, cutting, piecing, and stitching, until each work feels right. (UK)
Ilaria Harris
Ilaria is a contemporary textile and fashion artist who blends painting, threads and fabric into wearable art. She combines traditional sewing techniques with innovative design. Based in London, she explores her Italian heritage and British culture to create bespoke garments. She recently won first place in the fashion category of the Hand & Lock prize. You can follow her projects on Instagram @zestandlavender (UK/IT)
Isabel Wilder
Isabel is an Ecuadorian-American artist and educator specializing in the use of textiles and leather to create accessories, clothing and home decor pieces. Her passion for sewing started at a young age, and over the years, she has continued to design, sew and create one-of-a-kind pieces. Isabel draws inspiration from her love of nature, travels, vintage fabrics, textures, hand embroidery, and the discovery of patchwork and quilting techniques. Having lived in Argentina, Vietnam, Ukraine, and Peru with her family, Isabel has had the unique opportunity to immerse herself in diverse cultures, gaining first-hand experience of various crafts and craftsmanship. This exposure has significantly enriched her creativity and provided a vast resource of inspiration. Isabel’s creative process typically starts with a sketch in her notebook, from which she allows her ideas to evolve organically. She finds joy in the process of how each piece develops, believing that the journey of creation is as rewarding as the finished product. She believes that handmade items carry a unique energy, connecting the maker and the recipient in a special way. Her sewing machines and sewing room accompany her in all her travels, inspiring the name of her brand: Gypsy Tailor. (US)
Janice Reimer
Janice is a Canadian quilter and pattern designer whose work is inspired by science and nature. She loves a good math puzzle and aims to create depth and dimensionality in her quilts by layering geometrical elements into her designs. Janice can often be found with her two furry sidekicks, Emma (meow) and Neela (woof). (Canada)
Janine Heschl
Janine Heschl is an Austrian textile artist creating detailed wildlife artworks using free-motion machine embroidery and layered textile techniques. Her work often focuses on endangered species and the connection between humans and nature, combining realism, texture, and storytelling through thread. (Austria)
Jessica Jones
Jess Jones is a textile artist based in Somerset, creating vibrant, nature-inspired designs through raw-edge fabric collage, appliqué, and free-motion embroidery. Her work includes layered cushions and mini quilt panels, alongside raw edge fabric collage patterns and appliqué stitch kits for both hand and machine stitching. Through her colourful textile work, Jess encourages creativity, mindful making, and the joy of stitching. (UK)
Jessica Wheelahan
Jessica Wheelahan is an Australian quiltmaker with a passion for creating large scale improvisational compositions made from found materials. She enjoys collaborating with fashion designers and has authored a book with Quiltmania. (Australia)
Julia Crook
Julia is a textile artist based on the Suffolk Coast, UK. Inspiration for her work comes from the natural environment, particularly the coastal area surrounding her. She uses experimental techniques alongside traditional ones, including fabric manipulation, applique, hand & machine stitching, to create unique art works. Her work uses a combination of texture and relief, accentuated by shadow and light, to capture a sense of movement within the pieces. (UK)
Katie Zahm
Hand quilting, teaching, and creating space for quilters to grow together sit at the heart of everything Katie does through Zahm Co., her Denver based quilt pattern and education brand. Her modern, nature-inspired designs and warm teaching style have connected her with makers across Colorado and around the world. Outside of quilting, she’s soaking up the Colorado sun or wrangling a very busy toddler. (US)
Katrina Brosan
Katrina Brosan is a chainstitch embroidery artist, quilter, and painter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Areas of interest in her work include color theory, improv piecing, and modern design. (US)
Kira Greene
Kira is an appliqué pattern designer, teacher, and the creative force behind it’s all in the stitch. With a specialty in needle-turn appliqué, she has made it a mission to showcase this traditional hand technique as approachable and completely doable for modern, busy makers. Her teaching philosophy is simple: there’s no one right way to appliqué, only the way that works for you. With a thriving online community and a passion for bringing handwork back into everyday life, Kira truly loves to help makers of all levels discover just how satisfying a needle, thread, and a little fabric can be. (US)
Lauri Jones
Lauri Jones is a textile artist and educator based in Atlanta, GA. She began quilting a decade ago, and was instantly captivated by the medium. With a background in graphic design, her work reflects a lasting fascination with grids, geometry, and structured composition. Through her quilting practice, she explores the intersection of tradition and modern design in fiber art. (US)
Lileny Salazar Ulloa
Lileny is a Mexican embroiderer based in the United States, creating in Spanish for a global community of Spanish-speaking makers. Through her online courses at Hilo y Tiempo, she teaches embroidery by helping her community understand why stitches and materials behave the way they do, not just how to follow a pattern. For Lileny, thread doesn’t mark a surface. It builds one. (US)
Linzi Conway
Linzi Conway is an Irish textile artist who draws endless inspiration from Ireland’s rugged landscapes and serene coastal life. By blending paints and free-motion embroidery with authentic heritage fabrics—such as linen, tweed, and wool—alongside vintage materials, Linzi creates richly textured works that are both visually vibrant and wonderfully tactile. (UK)
Lorna Morgan
Lorna is a modern quilter with a love for bright colors and playful designs. What started as a creative hobby quickly turned into a passion for turning stacks of fabric into vibrant quilts and sewing projects full of personality. When she’s not sewing, there’s a good chance she’s adding to her forever-growing fabric collection, which is a hobby in and of itself! Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to embrace color, create fearlessly, and enjoy the process just as much as the finished piece. (US)
Mariana Diaz
Mariana is a graphic designer who uses her skills to create easy-to-follow modern quilt patterns. A self-taught quilter and visual learner, her patterns stand out for their clean look and illustrated instructions. As much as she loves to travel and explore the world, she’s just as happy to sit at home on a lazy Sunday with her family, one of her quilts, and a piping hot cup of coffee. (US)
Maude MacDonald
Maude MacDonald is a quilter, author, and designer who creates quilts and patterns, teaches people to trust their taste, and helps creative businesses find a look and voice that actually feels like them. She loves bold colour, old things, and doing things her own way — and believes perfection is vastly overrated while making things meant to be used, shared, and remembered. (Canada)
Mira Jones
Mira is a German-British sewist and quilter who divides her time between running her small business BluebellHillCrafts, filming sewing tutorials for her YouTube channel, volunteering for Project Linus and creating for FreeSpirit Fabrics (Circle of Makers). She has been known, at times, to have a gazillion WIPs going at any one time and especially enjoys creating with fabric scraps and upcycling/reworking pre-loved clothing. (UK)
Samanta Vargas De La Llata
Based in London, Samanta is an independent designer, multidisciplinary sewist, and a true “bra nerd” whose technical expertise is backed by a PhD in Art and Design specializing in bra science. She brings a massive dose of color to everyday life through her oversized, quilted statement bags for Churis Luris, while channeling her rigorous technical skills into supportive underwear and garment patterns for Cassiopeia. Recently featured in Homespun Magazine, Samanta’s vibrant creations demonstrate that playful, nostalgic design still requires absolute precision and top-tier thread. (UK)
Sarah Ruth Morris
Sarah Ruth is a fourth-generation quilter who has been making quilts for the past 13 years. She is a researcher by day and a hand quilter by night. She enjoys using scraps of whatever is around to finish her projects and loves a good challenge. (US)
Sashanna Hart
Sashanna is a long time photographer whose passion for light and color led her to the world of sewing during the pandemic. She prefers to work with reclaimed fabrics and use them to make garments, quilts and other fiber objects that have stories. She lives with her poet husband, and aviation obsessed son, with whom she enjoys listening to audiobooks and watching old BBC period dramas while slow stitching. (US)
Shelley Colton
Shelley Colton is a UK based sewist and emerging quilter whose creative work sits at the intersection of fashion sewing, quilting, and bag making. Inspired by colour, texture, British heritage textiles, and modern handmade fashion, she creates approachable projects designed to welcome beginners into the world of sewing. Through her role as an Aurifil Artisan, Shelley hopes to inspire makers to explore new creative crafts, experiment with confidence, and see sewing and quilting as an extension of personal style and self expression. (UK)
Sofia Natty
Sofia Natty is a Lisbon-born, NYC-based textile artist working across quilting, embroidery, and sewing. Her work is rooted in storytelling and expressed through colorful, playful designs that explore shared memory, collective dreams, and radical political imaginaries. Moving between quilts, soft sculpture, and wearable art, she is always searching for new shapes, color combinations, and ways of building worlds through fabric. (US)
Suzanne Campion
Suzanne is a British designer and maker whose portfolio specializes in English paper piecing and cathedral window patterns. She has recently designed and made a collection of spectacular cushions and quilts for Liberty Fabrics. She is renowned for her attention to detail and eye for colour, that many have given her the unofficial title of Queen of fussy cutting! She is a strong believer in William Morris design philosophy of “having nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. (UK)
Tamara Darragh
Tamara Darragh is the designer and storyteller behind Remi Vail Studio, where she creates quilt and bag patterns rooted in connection, memory, and the quiet magic of handcraft. Based in Minnesota with her husband and dog, Corduroy, she draws inspiration from nature, nostalgia, and the rhythm of slow, intentional stitching. Her cozy modern aesthetic is woven into every piece, from naturally dyed textiles to thoughtfully finished details. When not at the sewing machine, Tamara can be found tending her beloved garden or drifting through the kind of daydreams that spark her next creative adventure. (US)
Tony Phillips
Tony Phillips is a textile artist and educator whose work blends expressive embroidery with structured, accessible teaching. He works with both machine and hand stitch, moving fluidly between creative experimentation and technical application. (UK)
Tracy Aplin
She creates clothing, patchwork quilts, and other handmade pieces with great care and attention to detail. Her work is defined by the use of bright colours and wonderfully printed fabrics that bring each item to life. She often finds inspiration in the flowers from her garden, especially the rich shapes and hues of dahlias. She has a deep love for Liberty’s prints, which she uses to craft her clothes, bags, and quilts. (UK)
Vicki Reid
Vicki is a passionate sewist who predominately makes garments for herself. She loves to express herself through her clothing and celebrate body positivity by focusing on fit and adding special details. She was the semi-finalist in the Great British Sewing Bee series 9. (UK)
Wendy Greaves
Landscapes are central to Wendy’s work, inspiring her to use textiles and fibre art as a means of expressing their spirit. Her pieces blend hand and machine embroidery, using marks and details to explore the transience of both material and subject. Through her work, she hopes to encourage others to pause, observe, and connect more deeply with the natural world, feeling its presence through the tactile qualities of cloth and thread. (UK)
We hope that you enjoy following along with us, and we encourage you to check out these makers. Click each Artisan’s name above to join them on their creative journey!
So much talent and creativity!! Congratulations & Welcome to the wonderful world of Aurifil !!
So thrilled to see so many younger fabric artists in the line up! Congratulations to all!